Slow Cookin'

I'm trying a new recipe in the crockpot for tonight. I put it on at 7:30 this morning and it has been simmering away all day. The house smells absolutely delicious! Here's what's for dinner tonight. What are you having?

Hungry Girl's Slow Cookin' Pulled Chicken

1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved (I use the frozen ones and you don't even have to thaw them!)
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours OR on low for 7 - 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.If you're serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS


Sweet Restaurant Cole Slaw (from AllRecipes.com)

1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons diced onion
2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used only 2 Tbsp canola oil)
1/2 cup white sugar (I substituted 12 packets Splenda and it was too sweet, so I'll try less next time)
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Combine the coleslaw mix and onion in a large bowl.
Whisk together the salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, and poppy seeds in a medium bowl; blend thoroughly. Pour dressing mixture over coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

For Music Lovers and Carb-Addicts

Emily is here visiting us this weekend and we have been having a wonderful time. Thursday night we went to a Christian music concert at our church. We saw a group called the David Crowder Band and a couple of other artists (Jeremy Horn and Tyler Bass). It was my first Christian concert and I have to say I loved it! The music was really inspiring and uplifting, but that isn't what made the concert so great. What I liked most about it was seeing so many people unified in Christ. People were dancing and singing and completely immersed in PRAISE. It was a fantastic experience and I loved everything about it.

But I digress...Emily and I had lunch with Ethan at school on Friday and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon and evening at home. Tonight we went to the evening service at church and are getting ready to challenge each other on the Xbox Scene It trivia game. Ethan is so sad that Emily has to go home tomorrow, especially since she is taking Daisy-Dog home with her.

I asked Emily what her favorite Thanksgiving dish was and she said stuffing and pumpkin pie. So I went to pull her mom's recipe for stuffing and realized that some of Faye's best Thanksgiving dishes are the yummy, starchy sides. So here are some of my personal favorites from Faye's kitchen. (Incidentally, this is the dressing that I *tried* to make for our Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago, but it did not turn out well at all - it was too soggy. Late in the afternoon, when we were starving and tired of waiting to eat, we decided to go ahead and eat dinner. So I turned off the oven and we enjoyed our meal without the stuffing. Worse than that though, we forgot to take the stuffing out of the oven and found it the next day...and it *STILL* wasn't dried out!)


Cornbread Dressing
Martha White Buttermilk Cornmeal Mix (plus ingredients to make cornbread according to package directions)
Onion, diced
Celery, diced
Butter
Poultry seasoning or Sage, to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth

Prepare cornbread according to cornmeal mix directions. Cool and crumble into a large baking dish.

Sauté onion and celery in butter. Add to cornbread crumbs along with cream of mushroom soup and seasoning. Add one full can of chicken broth plus additional broth until dressing reaches desired consistency. Bake for one hour at 350°.


Hashbrown Casserole
32-oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 pint sour cream
2 cups cubed Velveeta cheese or 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons grated onion
½ cup margarine

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together and pour into ungreased 9”X13” pan. Bake one hour.


Sweet Potato Casserole

5 sweet potatoes, boiled and skins removed
small can crushed pineapple, well drained
¼ to 1/3 brown sugar, to taste
2 to 3 Tablespoons butter
miniature marshmallows

Mash potatoes and mix with remaining ingredients. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, until heated through. Top with miniature marshmallows and bake another 10 minutes.

Cheap Eats

With today's economy in the slumps like it is, I figured I would post some recipes that are budget friendly as well as delicious. Dave Ramsey says when you are trying to save money you should eat beans and rice, rice and beans. So, here are two delicious bean recipes to help you through these tough economic times. When I want to beef up the recipe a bit, I'll add some sliced smoked sausage (turkey smoked sausage when I'm being good) in the last 30 minutes of cooking time instead of adding the grease or oil to the recipe. Serve over white rice and add a side of cornbread and you will be in Southern Heaven. (By the way, don't ask me which of these recipes is better - they are both fantastic!)

Sarah’s “Famous” Cilantro Beans
submitted by my aunt, Sarah Jones

2 lb. bag of pinto beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 large clove garlic, minced
Cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon bacon drippings (health conscious cooks may substitute olive oil)

Sort and rinse beans thoroughly in colander. Soak for about 30 minutes (minimum), then place in a crockpot filled with water. Turn on the crockpot and let it work, adding water as needed. (I usually put them on late at night before going to bed on low and add water as needed in the morning; otherwise cook on high.) When beans are completely cooked, add Rotel, cilantro leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and bacon drippings. Stir and let simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Voila! Buen Probecho!!!

Abbie's Pinto Beanssubmitted by my dad, Abbie Linsenbardt

2 pounds dry beans, washed and sorted
5 full slices bacon, plus grease from cooking
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon cilantro
1 teaspoon salt (may need more later)
1 teaspoon pepper
chopped onion

Soak beans overnight. Rinse and put into crock pot. Cover with water.

Fry bacon, crumble and put into pot. Add 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease and remaining ingredients. Cook on high heat until beans are tender. Continue to check water level and add more water to keep beans covered.